Uplift brings a new film to us, The Science Behind Yoga, featuring Bruce Lipton Ph.D, Sat Bir Khalsa Ph.D, Dr. Mithu Storoni, and many other experts on the scientific research behind the benefits of Yoga.

If you are at all curious about the science behind yoga, I highly recommend reading Azriel ReShel'sarticle summarizing the scientific research informing the film, The Science Behind Yoga.

Modern-day science confirms that the practice of yoga has tangible physical health benefits that include improved brain function and denser bones, as well as immune health, improved nervous system functioning and strength. Over 36 million Americans practice yoga and enjoy the benefits of a stronger body, calm mind, increased happiness and reduced stress.

— Azriel ReShel

The article offers some insight into how:

Yoga increases our capacity for neuroplasticity required for intentional change, and thickens the layers of the cerebral cortex associated with higher learning. Basically, we become more able to learn and adapt by developing our capacity for intentional and sustained concentration.

Yoga reduces stress and creates more balance between the stress and relaxation responses within the body by effectively engaging both the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system through simultaneous concentration and relaxation. In a simplistic sense, we yogis are training ourselves to initiate the relaxation response when we experience stress instead of spinning in fight or flight.

Yoga boosts brain chemicals that promote a sense of wellbeing, reducing anxiety and depression by increasing levels of "happy brain chemicals" like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, responsible for feelings of relaxation and contentment. It seems that we are self-medicating in the best possible way when we do yoga.

]]>The Science Behind YogaTratakameditationKaren SellaSat, 17 Sep 2016 18:41:24 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/11/trataka56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57d5cc2820099e97b48ff79aTrataka is a Yogic meditation practice that involves gazing at a single
point to develop one-pointed concentration of the mind (ekagrata)...Trataka is a Yogic meditation practice that involves gazing at a single point to develop one-pointed concentration of the mind (ekagrata). One gazes at an external object or symbol (bahiranga trataka), such as a dot or candle flame placed at eye-level about an arm's length away for a specified period of time. Focusing the gaze on an external object steadies the eye movements and concentrates scattered or fragmented attention, priming the mind for one-pointed concentration.

In time, one closes the eyes and concentrates on the inner afterimage in the mind's eye (antaranga trataka).

Try it now.

Seat yourself in a comfortable position with the red dot/blue circle at eye-level, approximately an arm's distance away.

Once you have mastered the ability to keep your focus on the red dot for a period of time, try beginning the practice gazing at the red dot for 1-2 minutes, and then, closing your eyes and focusing on the after-image or internalized red dot visualized in your mind.

You may also try this with a still candle flame instead of the red dot/blue circle image.

Trataka with SoHam Mantra

You may also try this sample trataka meditation combining a blue dot object of focus with a traditional mantra, SoHam, a Sanskrit word that means "I am that," or "I am that I am."

Fog And Smog, Yoga Girl, featuring DJ Dave & Barney Kook

1st Verse:Yo, what’s up little yoga girl, what’s going on?I see you with your little mat, wearin’ your Toms My name is Dave from that Whole Foods song,You wanna meditate with me? Im like ummmmmmm Well anyway I guess you better be going,The last thing I wanna do is stop your vinyasa from flowingYou need some mat space, go on, be about it!(it’s just that vinny’s class gets so damn crowded)I know, that’s what I heard, it gets pretty tight, what’s up for later though, you wanna try to grab a bite?We could hit up Rawvolution or the Urth Caffe, Have a vegan cookie and talk about your dayOr we could take a walk down by the ocean, I heard those hip openers release a lot of emotion,It’s all good though, you know, like either way You feel like going with me???(Nah, Am-a-stay)

2nd Verse:Hey, you seem like a nice enough guy, but just not MY scene,I think your 3rd Eye, could maybe use some VisineYour breathing sounds just a little heavy cool guy,You need to come to class, and learn some ujjayi.I know you see me every single day like ground hog,And I appreciate it but I’m not down, dog.I’m gonna grab a coconut water, and be on my way.I wish you peace and blessings, Namaste

3rd Verse:Lady Yoga I sure would LOVE to get to know ya, I got a couple next level poses I could show ya.My first choice, rub lotion on my stiff joints, It’s thoughts of you that keep my Manduka mat moistYour aura’s glowin your tarea steady flowin, I signed you up for my newsletter without you knowin’I wanna fly your whole posse to Varanasi Or we could go to goa, and sip some mango lassiCuz I love it when you call me big Ba Ba I wanna explore your bodhisattva, unblock my chakrasYou’ve got my 4th level ex-posed When you fold those lulu lemons in a bow pose,You’re like a MODEL with that metal water bottle always with you,I wanna be SLEEPING Vishnu Straight up

]]>Hiphop Meets Yoga Pop CultureSublime Partner YogameditationasanaKaren SellaThu, 08 Sep 2016 19:37:00 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/6/15/sublime-partner-yoga56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c8836c2e69cffb9ef1670cA sublime combination of yoga and dance with Philliip Askew and Lydia
Walker entitled: Variations on Surya Namaskara. Music by Jonah Rank. A sublime combination of yoga and dance with Philliip Askew and Lydia Walker entitled: Variations on Surya Namaskara. Music by Jonah Rank.
]]>Sublime Partner YogaAM Rise & Shine Yoga, PM Rest & Sleep Yoga SequencesasanayogaKaren SellaSat, 03 Sep 2016 16:59:20 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/3/am-rise-shine-yoga-pm-rest-sleep-yoga-sequences56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57cafd9ad482e9784e3d4346Here are two gentle 18-minute sequences designed to wake you up and tuck
you in when you can't get the Luminanda love up close and personal. Enjoy!Here are two gentle 18-minute sequences designed to wake you up and tuck you in when you can't get the Luminanda love up close and personal. Enjoy!

]]>AM Rise & Shine Yoga, PM Rest & Sleep Yoga SequencesThe Altar of This MomentpoetrymeditationKaren SellaSat, 03 Sep 2016 16:31:29 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/3/the-altar-of-this-moment56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57caf9705016e1462152ad48The Altar of This Moment
Place everything you can perceive--
Everything you can
See,
Hear,
Smell,
Taste,
Or touch,
Upon the altar of this moment
And give thanks...

By Michael Pravin from Chennai, India (Surya Namaskar)

The Altar of This Moment

Place everything you can perceive--Everything you can See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Or touch, Upon the altar of this momentAnd give thanks.

It is over so soon,This expression,This single moment of your precious life,This one heart pounding itself openwith fear or wild joy,

This one breath rising in the cold winter air smoothly and gentlyor coughing and sputtering,

Bow, while you can, before This one tasteOf afternoon teaWarming its way to your belly,Or the fragrant orange exploding its sweet juice in your grateful mouth.

You have to loveThe antics of your mind,Imagining life should only be sweet.The bitter makes the sweet; and life is both.It is whole, like you,Before you think yourself to pieces.

Place this moment’s pain and confusion on the altar, too,And give special thanks for such graceThat wakes you up from sleeping through your life.Pain is greatly under-rated as a pointer to Unknowing,Yet greatly over-rated when taken as identity.

In this one moment,Your eyes meet mine and there is a single looking.What is peering from behind our masks? Can it touch itself across the room?

Place your palms together;Touch your holy skin.In another moment it will shed itself.What will you be then?What were you before you had two hands?What are you now?

You cannot capture Thatand place It on the altar of this moment.It is the altar,And this moment’s infinite expressions,And the Seeing,And its own devotion to itself.

]]>The Altar of This MomentChronic Ecstasy: Are You Addicted to Meditation?meditationKaren SellaSat, 03 Sep 2016 14:38:26 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/3/chronic-ecstasy-are-you-addicted-to-meditation56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57cadeee59cc6804d17a209aRecently, a friend published this quote on FB: "Chronic ecstasy is a
learnable skill."
Chronic. Ecstasy. A strange juxtaposition. Chronic, often associated with
a less healthy form of constancy—as in chronic pain. Andecstasy, often
associated with a less healthy form of drug-induced high—as in rave culture
drug of choice.
My initial response was one of both affirmation and caution. Yes, chronic
ecstasy is indeed a learnable, even valuable, skill, and yet, chronic
ecstasy without discerning engagement is simply self-indulgent escapism...

Chronic ecstasy is a learnable skill.

— Rob Brezsny

Recently, a friend published this quote on FB: "Chronic ecstasy is a learnable skill."

Chronic. Ecstasy. A strange juxtaposition. Chronic, often associated with a less healthy form of constancy—as in chronic pain. Andecstasy, often associated with a less healthy form of drug-induced high—as in rave culture drug of choice.

My initial response was one of both affirmation and caution. Yes, chronic ecstasy is indeed a learnable, even valuable, skill, and yet, chronic ecstasy without discerning engagement is simply self-indulgent escapism.

This is especially true with regards to meditation. If you’re a meditator, then you probably already know that ecstasy is a pleasant part of the territory. At some point in a meditation practice, we usually experience some extraordinary states of bliss—natural highs beyond any drug-induced ecstasy.

And if you’re not yet a meditator, you’re probably thinking, drug-free ecstasy? Yes, please, I likes me some drug-free ecstasy. After all, who doesn’t want some ecstasy?

The trouble is that the drug-free ecstasy can be just as addictive as the drug-induced kind, leading to more escapist than enlightening meditation, causing us to seek out a particular euphoric experience instead of embracing the whole truth of what is. It’s kind of like a meditative drug-induced stupor. It can feel good, but we’re not really all there. It can become an addictive form of spiritual bypassing.

After such ecstatic experiences, we often find ourselves mistakenly judging the quality of our meditation by how we feel during our practice. We get attached to “achieving” ecstatic states, becoming disappointed when we don’t “achieve” particular ecstatic states during or beyond our meditation, as if ecstasy (or achievement) paves the path to enlightenment.

Yet, if we habitually seek out, or simply slip into ecstatic states readily and repeatedly without full awareness, our meditation practice begins to look more like blissing out than blissfully being with the truth of experience. We begin to inhabit the murky territory of good sits as good trips. In so doing, we mistake the transient effects (ecstasy, discomfort, restlessness, etc.), for the practice (sitting and being with what is, focusing attention on the breath, etc.), and the long-term results of practice (greater awareness, equanimity, contentment).

It’s not about getting high, it’s about getting real.

— Ram Dass

Lacking discernment or more discriminating awareness, some meditators even conflate the repeated experience of ecstasy with enlightenment. Unfortunately, as long as there is an “I” getting high, there’s only false en-lie-tenment rather than any genuine awakening. Chronic ecstasy, thus, becomes merely blissful ignorance rather than the eternal bliss of being fully present and alive with the nature of who you really are and what is.

After all, just because you can access a light show in your mind doesn’t mean that you’re enlightened. It just means that you’re enjoying some good trips along the way. The purpose of meditation is to realize who you are and what is. Genuine bliss arrives when we learn to be just as we are beyond our conceptions of who we think we should be.

The final obstacle in meditation is ecstasy; you feel great bliss and happiness, and you want to stay in that ecstasy. Do not yield to it, but pass on to the next stage, which is great calm. The calm is higher than ecstasy and it merges into samadhi.

— Ramana Maharshi

If you meditate merely to take the bliss-trip, you just end up in Lala Land, chronically ecstatic without a care or a clue.

]]>Chronic Ecstasy: Are You Addicted to Meditation?Principles of Wholeness: Ethical PracticeyogaKaren SellaFri, 02 Sep 2016 19:49:51 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/2/principles-of-wholeness-ethical-practice56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c9d569b3db2b8b93fd6db6The beginning of all yoga is virtue. Like all wise people world-wide, the
yogis of ancient India realized that certain behaviors are more conducive
to healthy development than others, so they described and prescribed a code
of conduct as a prerequisite foundation for Yoga: Yama, five abstinences
that guide our relationships with others, and Niyama, five observances that
guide our relationship with ourselves. Together, Yama and Niyama are an
essential set of ten underlying principles (intentions, values, choices)
that guide one’s yoga practice on and off the mat. These are the “ethical
ground” from which all else grows...

When a yogin becomes qualified by practicing Yama and Niyama, then the yogin can proceed to asana and the other means.

— Yoga Bhashya Vivarana (II.29)

The beginning of all yoga is virtue. Like all wise people world-wide, the yogis of ancient India realized that certain behaviors are more conducive to healthy development than others, so they described and prescribed a code of conduct as a prerequisite foundation for Yoga: Yama, five abstinences that guide our relationships with others, and Niyama, five observances that guide our relationship with ourselves. Together, Yama and Niyama are an essential set of ten underlying principles (intentions, values, choices) that guide one’s yoga practice on and off the mat. These are the “ethical ground” from which all else grows.

Yama: Interpersonal Action

Kindness (non-violence) / Ahimsa

“Do no harm”—refrain from harming self, each other, and our world

Be kind and compassionate in your relationships with all sentient beings, including yourself

Choose sustainability over destruction in your personal lifestyle and professional practices

Truthfulness (non-lying) / Satya

Seek and speak the truth within and without

Promote and uphold truthfulness, even when unpopular and inconvenient

Refrain from deception, exaggeration, and gossip

Non-stealing / Asteya

Refrain from taking advantage of people or situations for personal gain

Refrain from taking or demanding anything—stuff, time, credit, money—that is not freely given or more than your fair share

Notice and rest in abundance

Sexual restraint and responsibility / Bramacharya

Embody your sexuality with respect for yourself and others

Develop conscious, reverent relationships

Be faithful to your relational commitments

Devote your energy to that which is sacred

Non-possessiveness / Aparigraha

Refrain from unnecessary acquisitiveness

Give generously of yourself, your time, and whatever else you have to offer

Devote yourself to Oneness (Spirit, God, Divinity, what-have-you) within and without

Choose to serve something greater than self

Participate consciously in the interconnectedness of all living creatures

Cultivate humility

Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go. What does matter is who you are when you get there.

— Max Strom]]>Principles of Wholeness: Ethical PracticeThe Cosmic Striptease: Uncovering the KoshasyogaKaren SellaFri, 02 Sep 2016 19:33:06 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/2/the-cosmic-striptease-uncovering-the-koshas56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c9b018e58c623178d485a9In the yogic tradition, Self-realization consists of discovering and
discarding false identifications with aspects or energies of human being
(koshas) that make up the spectrum of being-consciousness-bliss underlying
who we are and the nature of reality. Ranging from material to spiritual,
the entire spectrum is considered to be variations of the same
being-consciousness-bliss organizing itself at different vibrational
frequencies or forms...

God dwells in you, as you, and you don’t have to ‘do’ anything to be God-realized or Self-realized, it is already your true and natural state. Just drop all seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the Heart of your very being.

— Ramana Maharshi

In the yogic tradition, Self-realization consists of discovering and discarding false identifications with aspects or energies of human being (koshas) that make up the spectrum of being-consciousness-bliss underlying who we are and the nature of reality. Ranging from material to spiritual, the entire spectrum is considered to be variations of the same being-consciousness-bliss organizing itself at different vibrational frequencies or forms.

The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will make an atheist of you, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.

— Werner Heisenberg

In a sense, yoga is really a cosmic strip-tease in which we strip down to our essence, tossing layers of identification that conceal who we really are until we reveal ourselves as we already all ready are and always all ways ever shall be, pure being-consciousness-bliss.

When we mistakenly identify with only particular aspects of who we are, we frequently confuse our partiality with the greater integrity that is right here, right now always available if we’re willing to loosen our grip on the parts that prevent us from embracing our inherent wholeness.

Although most of us only perceive the densest layers of ourselves, identifying with our physical selves, throughout the ages, shamans, mystics, sages, yogis, and others with extra-sensory perception have described, and even painstakingly mapped, the progressively more refined, luminous, subtle energy field surrounding and supporting the physical body.

Although there is currently no scientific evidence supporting their existence beyond this long history of reported experience, many people still believe these to be descriptions of actual energetic existence. Others see these as elaborate metaphors for concentrating attention on various aspects of awareness, more akin to metaphoric yantras. And of course, there are still others who believe that the koshas are purely esoteric nonsense. For my purpose here, I'm not advocating for any particular belief, but rather, describing the koshas, and leaving it to you to explore what you believe about these. With that in mind, here we go.

Within this subtler dimension of human being, each of us is comprised of multiple interpenetrating, elliptical fields or nested layers of energy emanating within, through, and around the physical body to create one integrated human energy field. Each field, sometimes called a "sheath," has its own energy and quality corresponding to various physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of human experience.

The outer concentrations of the sheaths, often called the aura, act like an energetic skin, a semi-permeable protective field that filters energy. In our natural healthy state, our auras extend about four to five feet around our entire individual physical bodies. Likewise, in unhealthy states, our auras contract or congest.

The body has its own special sacred points just as the Earth has its sacred sites and energy current according to sacred geography. We must learn this sacred geography of our own body in order to attune ourselves both to the Earth and to the greater cosmos.

— David Frawley

Within the innermost concentrations of the sheaths, life energy (prana)forms an intricate network of subtle channels or meridians (nadis) connecting energetic reservoirs or pressure points (marmas) along and above the surface of the skin. The nadis are like an energetic circulatory system streaming prana in, through, and out of your body, which have been described as streams of light. The marmas or points of light function like energetic tidal pools where the energy streams of your physical body and your subtle body, or what you tend to think of as your "self," converge and concentrate.

Prana also concentrates in energetic vortices or wheels (chakras), the primary seven of which are centered along the spine, extending outward from the spine beyond the front and back of the physical body. The chakras are like energetic whirlpools that funnel life energy through the aura and via the nadis to the organs of the physical body. When functioning optimally, chakras regulate the flow of energies to harmonize our personal energy field with the energy fields of our environment and sustain our greater health and well-being.

The Three Bodies (Sariras) & Five Sheaths (Koshas)

Traditionally categorized into three energy bodies known as the Gross, Subtle, and Causal, the spectrum of consciousness contains five fields or "sheaths" loosely labeled food, energy, mind, wisdom, and bliss.

Gross Body (Sthula Sarira)

Your Gross Body (gross meaning material, not icky) includes all the systems of the physical body, constitutions (Doshas), as well as the five elements of the physical body: earth, water, fire, air and space. The skeletal system corresponds to earth, the circulatory and immune systems to water, the respiratory system to air, the digestive system to fire, and the central nervous system to space.

We ought to dance with rapture that we should be alive and in the flesh, and part of the living, incarnate cosmos. I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea...There is nothing of me that is alone and absolute except my mind, and we shall find that the mind has no existence by itself, it is only the glitter of the sun on the surface of the waters.

— D.H. Lawrence

Matter/Food (Body) Sheath (Annamaya Kosha):the visible manifestation of energy, the material body of form and flesh sustained by proper food, nutrition, exercise, rest, and relaxation, as well as fresh air and clean water. It is the body, which (and with which) we can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. It is the form and appearance of our embodied existence bound by space and time subject to birth, growth, disease, old age, decay, and death. When healthy, we experience this as stability and sensuality.

Primary yogic practices: asanas and mudras

Subtle Body (Suksma Sarira)

Your Subtle Body is comprised of the innermost fields (koshas), streams of light (nadis) and energy bodies (chakras) that support our physical health and well-being. It includes the five pranas and five types of sensory impressions--the sensations of sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.

— Rumi

Vital/Energy (Life) Sheath (Pranayama Kosha): the immediate prana field surrounding and permeating the physical body that supports and mediates physical (body) and psychological (mind) life. It is the active energy of our will to live, our primal emotions and our instinctual desires for life. When healthy, we experience this as vitality and sensitivity—an exquisite, essential felt-sense and ecstatic motion of being alive that we can most readily access and enhance whenever we attend to the quality and flow of our breath.

Mental/Emotional (Mind) Sheath (Manomaya Kosha): this is the conceptual stream of impressions and moods—the labels and roles that we inhabit—underlying the individual personality or the appearance of the self. It is the consciousness of separation, ownership, and agency—me, myself, and I. It is reflected in the nervous system and organs of perception. When healthy, we experience this kosha as sensibility and empathy.

These first three sheaths (matter, vital/prana, and mental/emotional) form the basis for the personal self or egoic consciousness. Yogic philosophy distinguishes between the small self or egoic self and the universal Self of spiritual being.

In the beginning remember abiding in the ‘I’ is abiding in the ego, in the mind. As you continue to abide in the ‘I’, the ‘I’ becomes the real ‘I’, which is the Self. Because there is only one ‘I’, not two and you are That. So abiding in the ‘I’ is following the ‘I’ thread to the source and the source is “I-am.”

— Robert Adams

Consciousness is usually identified with mind, but mental consciousness is only the human range which no more exhausts all the possible ranges of consciousness than human sight exhausts all gradations of colour or human hearing all the gradations of sound—for there is much above or below that is to man invisible and inaudible. So there are ranges of consciousness above and below the human range, with which the normal human has no contact and they seem to us unconscious—supramental or overmental and submental ranges.

— Sri Aurobindo

Wisdom/Knowing (Soul) Sheath (Vijnanamaya Kosha): the realm of true knowledge or wisdom and genuine discerning awareness that inspires deeper insights about who we are and the nature of reality. We experience this as clarity, integrity, and transparency. This is the entrance to the experience of unity—of being One Self.

Spiritual truth is a truth of the spirit, not a truth of the intellect, not a mathematical theorem or a logical formula. It is a truth of the Infinite, one in an infinite diversity, and it can assume an infinite variety of aspects and formations: in the spiritual evolution it is inevitable that there should be a many-sided seizing of it; this many-sidedness is the sign of the approach of the soul to a living reality, not to an abstraction or a constructed figure of things that can be petrified into a dead or stony formula. The hard logical and intellectual notion of truth as a single idea which all must accept, one idea or system of ideas defeating all other ideas or systems, or a single limited fact or single formula of facts which all must recognise, is an illegitimate transference from the limited truth of the physical field to the much more complex and plastic field of life and mind and spirit.

Causal Body (Karana Sarira)

Bliss (Spirit) Sheath (Anandamaya Kosha): often called the Bliss Body, this is the threshold of the non-dual realm of unconditioned, infinite, eternal being consciousness. We experience this as pure joy or bliss, peace, and tranquility.

When the Peace of God descends on you, when the Divine Presence is there within you, when the Ananda rushes on you like a sea, when you are driven like a leaf before the wind by the breath of the Divine Force, when Love flowers out from you on all creation, when Divine Knowledge floods you with a Light which illumines and transforms in a moment all that was before dark, sorrowful and obscure, when all that is becomes part of the One Reality, when the Reality is all around you, you feel at once by the spiritual contact, by the inner vision, by the illumined and seeing thought, by the vital sensation and even by the very physical sense, everywhere you see, hear, touch only the Divine. Then you can much less doubt it or deny than you can deny or doubt daylight or air or sun in heaven...

— Sri Aurobindo

Primary yogic practices: meditation (dhyana)

These latter two sheaths form the basis for our universal Self, the self that knows itself to be the one in the many and the many in the one.

That inner Self, as the primeval Spirit,

Eternal, ever effulgent, full and infinite Bliss,

Single, indivisible, whole and living,

Shines in everyone as the witnessing awareness.

That self in its splendour, shining in the cavity of the heart

This self is neither born nor dies,

Neither grows nor decays,

Nor does it suffer any change.

When a pot is broken, the space within it is not,

And similarly, when the body dies the Self in it remains eternal.

— Ramana Maharshi

Our supreme Self and supreme Existence which has become the universe are one spirit, one self, and one existence.

— Sri Aurobindo]]>The Cosmic Striptease: Uncovering the Koshas9 Reasons to Love Your Yoga PracticeasanayogaKaren SellaFri, 02 Sep 2016 01:50:51 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/1/9-reasons-to-love-your-yoga-practice56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c8b234d482e95fc8a66fcc1) Seussian portability.
On a plane or on a train, in a car, here or there, near or far... yoga can
be practiced wherever you are--gardens, studios, parks, living rooms,
bedrooms, boardrooms, lunchrooms, offices, atriums, gymnasiums, airports,
hotel rooms. It’s wireless and portable. All that’s really needed is you in
a relatively quiet, comfortable room with open floor space —and of course,
depending on how physical the practice, comfy clothing and a mat can be
helpful, but even these are optional.
2) Conspicuous contentment...

Image credit: Pete Saloutos Photography

1) Seussian portability.

On a plane or on a train, in a car, here or there, near or far... yoga can be practiced wherever you are--gardens, studios, parks, living rooms, bedrooms, boardrooms, lunchrooms, offices, atriums, gymnasiums, airports, hotel rooms. It’s wireless and portable. All that’s really needed is you in a relatively quiet, comfortable room with open floor space —and of course, depending on how physical the practice, comfy clothing and a mat can be helpful, but even these are optional.

2) Conspicuous contentment.

With regular practice, you will breathe more deeply, eat more lightly, sleep more soundly, move more fluidly, see more clearly, speak more freely, laugh more easily, love more wholly, and live more fully.

3) Breathing room.

Sometimes we all need a little break from the business of life. We need space to breathe, rest, and rejuvenate our experience of who we are. Yoga offers us the space to simply be.

4) Tried and true.

Yoga has been around for centuries. It’s a profound and proven integral system for self-realization that transforms one’s entire being. Through simple poses and breathing practices, we learn to shift our attention from the external to the internal. Through concentration and meditation practices, we learn how to be with ourselves and abide in the truth of who we are. Through awareness and compassion, we learn to see ourselves in each other. Finally, we learn to seamlessly navigate these inner and outer dimensions of experience as a holistic whole.

5) Sublime sattva.

sattva (sahth´vah) [Sanskrit] the purest aspect of nature, characterized by light, grace, and calm; responsible for the contentment of mind and body, and associated with the consciousness, or intelligence that maintains well-being.

From a yogic perspective, there are three primary aspects of nature present to varying degrees in each one of us and all living things—sattva (purity, light, harmony, intelligence), rajas (activity, restlessness, passion), and tamas (dullness, inertia, ignorance). These inherent qualities of being influence who we are, what we do, and how we experience the world. Basically, when we're feeling agitated or driven with maybe a tad of manic or panic, we are likely overdosing on rajas, whereas sluggish, dull, apathetic experience characterizes excessive tamas. However, whenever we're feeling balanced, healthy, and content, we're enjoying a healthy dose of sattva, the state of being most conducive to making smart decisions, meaningful commitments, and genuine connections. Yoga helps you soak up the sattva.

6) Cool heads, warm hearts, hot buns.

7) Revolutionary resilience.

Into each life a little rain must fall, but then, there are the perfect storms that rip away the foundations of your reality and leave your life in shambles. Yoga is what allows you to stand amidst the rubble with dignity and gratitude. It is what allows you to embrace the new beginning at the end of the world with a resilience that you didn’t know you had. When you get the wind knocked out of you, and you regain your breath more readily, forgive more easily, pick yourself up and dust yourself off more gracefully, and then, reach out a hand to help another. That’s when you become a yogi, and that’s why you practice, whatever the forecast.

8) Exclusive membership in Club Namaste.

Just kidding. Yoga is an inclusive tradition. No matter what your personal beliefs, capacities, and predispositions, the yogic tradition honors the diversity of human experience, using your natural abilities and tendencies to deepen and broaden how you experience the life within, between, and all around you.

Although the traditional greeting of “Namaste” is sometimes more of a hollow affectation brandished by soft-spoken, self-professed “I’m so spiritual” yoga folks in the pop culture yoga scene, it’s still worth noting that one of the benefits of genuine spiritual practice is that you begin to regularly experience the sacred in yourself, in others, and in the world around you. If speaking a word aloud helps remind you, divine. If you can embrace and embody the word, even better. The divine in me sees the divine in you however we choose to greet each other.

9) Better zzzzzzzs.

And last, but not least, yoga helps us rest easy, offering more energy during the day, and more rest at night...or vice versa, whatever melts your butter.

]]>9 Reasons to Love Your Yoga PracticeLight of the Moon: Chandra NamaskarasanayogaKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 21:09:41 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/1/1w6gqigvr6p7e3r23limnoc1600hz156588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c89390cd0f6864cce76ff5When I was a child, my mum used to sing a little folk song with me. Perhaps
you know it. The beginning lyrics were, “I see the moon and the moon sees
me. The moon sees the one that I long to see…”
On a clear night, under the light of a full moon, that little childhood
ditty will often come to mind. Of course, as a child, I thought that the
one in the song was a special someone somewhere else in the world.
Years later, I often think of the one...

Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying, with that sweet moon language, what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?

— Hafiz

When I was a child, my mum used to sing a little folk song with me. Perhaps you know it. The beginning lyrics were, “I see the moon and the moon sees me. The moon sees the one that I long to see…”

On a clear night, under the light of a full moon, that little childhood ditty will often come to mind. Of course, as a child, I thought that the one in the song was a special someone somewhere else in the world.

Years later, I often think of the one in the tune as the oneness within, between, and all around us—the OneSelf, One World often hidden from view in darkness, but visible from above by the light of the moon. From the moon's perspective, I imagine that we are all one marvelous, luminous whole.

This is the one I recall when I practice Chandra Namaskar each evening before I sleep.

The Moon Salutation, also known as Chandra Namaskar, is a centering sequence of yoga poses representing the phases of the moon. A potent counterbalance to the popular, energizing Sun Salutation, the Moon Salutation is a reflective, quieting practice designed to calm the body, soothe the mind, and induce better rest. It's more like a slow dance than a boogie.

There are many variations of Moon Salutation, but the sequence below, comprised of nine poses, is the one I practice most. This is an especially helpful sequence to practice in the evening before bed.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Press your palms together in prayer position. Rest your thumbs on your sternum and take a few deep breaths. Remember to breathe through your nose and ease into each pose with the breath.

Inhale as you sweep your arms out to the side and skyward. Press your palms together overhead or interlace your fingers with your index fingers pointing skyward. Exhaling, bend your upper torso to the right in a gentle arc. Keep your feet firmly planted and your thighs engaged. Inhaling, come back to center. Exhale, bend to the left, and then, inhale, come back to center. Exhale as you release your arms.

3. Goddess Squat - Utkata Konasana

Inhaling, step your feet wide apart and turn your toes out slightly. Exhaling, bend your knees directly over your heels, lowering your hips into a squat. Extend your arms out to your sides at shoulder-height, and then, bend your elbows and point your fingertips skyward, so that your upper arms and forearms form 90-degree angles. To deepen the pose, come onto your toes. Gentlemen (and a few of you Ladies) who may be less comfortable accessing your inner goddess, feel free to consider this as "horse stance" as it's known in martial arts.

Rotate your right (front) foot 90 degrees so your front foot’s toes point to the top of the mat. Turn your left toes in slightly. Exhaling, extend your right hand in the same direction that your right foot is pointed. Shift your left hip back, and then fold sideways at the hip (think John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever). Rest your right hand on the outside of your shin or ankle and extend your left hand straight up toward the sky.

Inhaling, lower your left hand and turn your upper torso to the right until it is in line with your right leg. Exhaling, fold your torso over your right leg. Rest both hands on your lower leg, foot, or the floor, and press down through the heel of your back foot.

Inhaling, bend your right knee and place your fingertips on the mat in front of you. Exhaling, step your left foot to the back of the mat, keeping your right foot at the front of the mat and your right knee over the heel of your right foot. Lower your left knee to the floor and slide your leg back a few inches. Un-tuck your left foot’s toes and rest the top of your foot on the floor. Keep your fingertips on the mat and gaze between your hands or bring your hands into prayer resting at your sternum. If this feels comfortable, raise your hands overhead gazing skyward and gently arc back.

8. Low Side Lunge

Inhaling, place both hands to the inside of your right foot on the floor. Rotate your right foot and leg to face forward, keeping your knee bent. Exhaling, turn your left toes forward, keeping your left leg extended and your palms on the floor. If that is too deep of a squat for you, rest your hands on your right thigh, instead.

Inhaling, step your right foot in toward your left and lower your tailbone, coming into a low squat. Bring your upper arms to the inside of your knees. Press your elbows against the inside of your knees and bring your palms together in prayer position. Hug the earth with you toes, and exhale fully. Keep your feet as wide apart as needed to feel steady.

10. Low Side Lunge

Inhale, place your hands on the floor to the inside of your left foot. Extend your right foot out to the right. Exhale as you slide your torso toward your left foot. If helpful, rest your hands on your left thigh instead of on the floor.

11. Low Crescent Lunge - Anjaneyasana

Inhaling, turn your left toes to point to the back of your mat. Rotate your right leg inward and bring your right knee to the floor, pressing through the top of your right foot and keeping your left knee over the heel of your left foot. Exhaling, place your fingertips on the mat in front of you. Keep your fingertips on the mat and gaze between your hands or bring your hands into prayer resting at your sternum. If this feels comfortable, raise your hands overhead gazing skyward and gently arc back.

12. Pyramid Pose - Parsvottanasana

Inhaling, straighten both legs. Exhale and fold your torso over your left leg, resting both hands on your lower leg, foot, or the floor. Press down through the heel of your back foot.

13. Extended Triangle Pose - Utthita Trikonasana

Inhaling, extend your right hand straight up to the sky, opening your torso to the right. Rest your left hand on the outside of your left shin or ankle. Exhale fully.

16. Side Bend/Half Moon - Urdhva Hastasana

Inhaling, straighten your legs. Turn your toes forward and step your left foot next to your right. At the same time, sweep your arms out to the side and skyward, pressing palms together or interlacing your fingers and pointing your index fingers skyward. Exhaling, bend your upper torso to the right in a gentle arc, keeping your feet firmly planted and your thighs engaged. Inhale and come back to center. Exhaling, bend to the left, and then inhaling, come back to center. Exhale as you release your arms.

17. Standing Mountain Pose - Tadasana

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your palms together in prayer position, and take several deep breaths. Hug the earth with your toes and give thanks.

May you see your oneself and our one world by the light of your inner moon. May you rest in bright, lucid, shimmering wholeness.

Let's be luminous... if you would like to explore this further, please arrange for a private or group Moon Salutation & Candlelight Meditation session.

]]>Light of the Moon: Chandra NamaskarTurning Toward the Light: Surya NamaskaryogaasanamantraKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 17:09:17 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/1/surya-namaskar-saluting-the-sun56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c85de3579fb36a9d0d7ed4People across cultures have a long history of paying homage to the primary
source of life energy here on Earth, our most magnificent star, the Sun.
The yogic tradition is no exception. Enter any hatha yoga class, and you
will find yourself surrounded by sun-worshipers—not the skin-deep,
scantily-clad variety of the pre-sunblock eras burning epidermis in pursuit
of epic tans—but rather, the lycra-clad, bare-foot yoga enthusiasts
engaged, often unknowingly, in the ancient ritual of burning through
illusions to rest in the radiance of realized being, commonly referred to
as the Sun Salutation...

Now, the light which shines above in heaven—pervading all the spaces, pervading everywhere, both below and in the farthest reaches of the worlds—this indeed is that same light which shines within man.

— Chhandogya Upanishad 3.13.7

Surya Namaskar photo credit: http://www.naianakai.com/

People across cultures have a long history of paying homage to the primary source of life energy here on Earth, our most magnificent star, the Sun. The yogic tradition is no exception. Enter any hatha yoga class, and you will find yourself surrounded by sun-worshipers—not the skin-deep, scantily-clad variety of the pre-sunblock eras burning epidermis in pursuit of epic tans—but rather, the lycra-clad, bare-foot yoga enthusiasts engaged, often unknowingly, in the ancient ritual of burning through illusions to rest in the radiance of realized being, commonly referred to as the Sun Salutation.

Since Vedic times, Surya, the sun, has been venerated as both the solar heart of our planetary life and a symbol of the illumined heart within each of us. Traditionally practiced at daybreak facing the rising sun, Surya Namaskara, the Sun Salutation, is a devotional practice for literally and symbolically turning body, heart, and mind toward the light, greeting each dawn with awakening consciousness. This moving meditation begins standing with feet planted firmly on the ground, and hands in “prayer” or Heart Seal (Hridaya Mudra), palms together, fingertips skyward, thumbs resting against the chest at heart-level, the center of genuine insight, and continues with a flowing series of twelve poses (asanas), each transitioning into the next in coordination with the breath (pranayama).

Although not always observed in contemporary practice, the Sun Salutation usually begins with a silent or spoken recital of the Gayatri Mantra, The Mantra of Spiritual Light, considered to be one of the most profound mantras.

In addition to the Gayatri Mantra, every movement in the Sun Salutation sequence is associated with a mantra, each successive mantra attuned to one of the twelve phases or energetic aspects of the sun cycling through the zodiac, and corresponds to subtle energy centers (chakras) within every individual. All mantras are psychoactive, inducing more resonant states of being by decluttering the mind of its normal background noise with focused attention on rhythmic sounds, words, or phrases—keys that unlock the gates to greater attunement. If you're curious, the mantras based on Sanskrit, along with English translations are as follows:

Om Hram Mitraya Namaha (Salutations to the friend of all)

Om Hrim Ravaye Namaha (Salutations to the shining one)

Om Hrum Suryqya Namaha (Salutations to the one who induces activity)

Om Hraim Bhanave Namaha (Salutations to the one who illumines)

Om Hraum Khagaya Namaha (Salutations to the one who moves through the sky)

Om Hramh Pushne Namaha (Salutations to the giver of strength and nourishment)

Om Ham Hiranyagarbhaya Namaha (Salutations to the golden cosmic self)

Om Hrim Marichaye Namaha (Salutations to the rays of the sun)

Om Hrum Adityaya Namaha (Salutations to the son of Aditi, the cosmic mother)

Om Hraim Savitre Namaha (Salutations to the stimulating power of the sun)

Om Hraum Arkaya Namaha (Salutations to the one who is fit to be praised)

Om Hramh Bhaskaraya Namaha (Salutations to the one who leads to enlightenment)

There is an earthly, material sun, which is the cause of heat; and all who are capable of seeing it, even those who are blind, can feel the heat. And then there is an eternal sun, which is the source of wisdom; and those who are spiritually awakened will see this sun and be conscious of His existence.

— Paracelsus

Although there are many more obvious personal benefits to practicing the Sun Salutation—such as a strong, supple body, an bright, open heart, a clear, centered mind—the essence of this practice is an invitation to stoke the inner flame and infuse one’s entire being with light, becoming like the sun, a bright star radiating life-affirming energy in service of the world.

So next time you find yourself saluting the sun, if you don’t already do so, pause and give thanks for the sun above, as well as the one within that guides your life, and see how this simple affirmation deepens your yoga practice. In so doing, you will be joining a long lineage of people waking up to life, greeting each day with gratitude, aligning inner and outer experience as you tune in and attune to the cycles of nature in communion with self.

As innumerable cups full of water, many reflections of the sun are seen, but the sun is the same; similarly individuals, like cups, are innumerable, but spirit, like the sun, is one.

— The Shiva-samhita I.35 II.42-43

As for the uninitiated, here’s an overview to guide you through the Surya Namaskar practice:

Stand with big toes touching, heels slightly apart (or feet hip-width apart with toes forward). Create a straight line from ear to shoulder to hip to knee to heel, lifting the crown of your head skyward as you press your feet into the ground. Bring your hands together in front of your heart.

Exhaling, hinge at the hips to come into a deep forward bend, sweeping your arms forward and down (or out to the sides if easier). Bring your fingertips to the floor alongside your feet (or bend at the knees so that you can bring your fingertips to the floor or blocks), gently releasing the crown of your head toward the floor.

Inhaling, extend the crown of your head forward and skyward, gently arching your back and opening your heart, as you step one leg back and into a low lunge.

Retaining the breath, step back into a plank position. Extend the crown of your head forward, and press your heels backward to lengthen your entire body. Engage your abdominal muscles to come into one even line.

Inhaling, roll forward over your toes and use your arms with elbows slightly bent to lift your chest off the floor, contracting your belly, opening your heart, arching your back and rolling your shoulders back and down. Press into the tops of your feet and palms, as you gaze skyward.

Inhaling, step one leg forward between your hands to come into a low lunge (lead with the same leg that you used to step back into a low lunge earlier), extending the crown of your head forward and skyward, opening your chest.

Exhaling, step forward so that both feet rest between your hands, torso folded from the hips over your straightened legs, keeping your fingertips on the floor or on blocks.

Inhaling, sweep your arms forward and skyward (or outward and skyward), rising back up to a standing position.

Exhaling, float your arms back into prayer position.

Give it a try. It may not happen overnight, but I promise, with consistent practice, you will begin to glow from the inside out as your spirit awakens at a cellular level and your radiant being—the sunnier side of your veritable Self—shines.

References:

Iyengar, BKS. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1993).

http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/gayatri.html

http://www.cfwohio.org/index.php/news/surya-namaskar/

]]>Turning Toward the Light: Surya NamaskarGâyatrî Mantra: the Mantra of Spiritual LightmantrayogameditationKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 16:50:45 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/9/1/gayatri-mantra56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c8558c725e25b6fc9083b7Considered to be one of the most profound mantras in the world, the Gayatri
Mantra, or loosely translated, the Mantra of Spiritual Light, is one of
humanity's oldest prayers originating in the Rig Veda and dating back to at
least 1500 BCE. It has been and continues to be chanted by generations of
people who aspire to awaken the divine wisdom in and for all beings. In
the words of Sri Aurobindo...

Om bhur bhuvah svah

tat savitur varenyam

bhargo devasya dhimahi

dhiyo yonah prachodayat

— Gayatri Mantra, Chandogya-Upanishad, Rig Veda (iii, 62, 10)

The eternal earth, air, heaven

That glory, the resplendence of the sun

May we contemplate the brilliance of that light

That it may inspire our minds with the self-effulgent brilliance

Within all realms: air, earth, heaven, and beyond

Illuminate our subtle intellect

For the enlightenment of beings everywhere.

Considered to be one of the most profound mantras in the world, the Gayatri Mantra, or loosely translated, the Mantra of Spiritual Light, is one of humanity's oldest prayers originating in the Rig Veda and dating back to at least 1500 BCE. It has been and continues to be chanted by generations of people who aspire to awaken the divine wisdom in and for all beings. In the words of Sri Aurobindo,

"Of all the mantras, the supreme and the most potent power of powers is the great, glorious Gâyatrî Mantra. It is only one's faith and purity of heart that really count. Indeed, Gâyatrî is an impregnable spiritual armor, a veritable fortress, that guards and protects its votary, which transforms him into the divine, and blesses him with the brilliant light of the highest spiritual illumination. It is universally applicable, for it is nothing but an earnest prayer for Light, addressed to the Supreme Almighty Spirit" (Sri Aurobindo, Hymns to the Mystic Fire).

A common and potent accompaniment to the traditional Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation practice, the Gayatri Mantra is preceded by “the great utterance,” aum bhūr bhuva sva, invoking the primeval sound of All that is One (om), earth (bhūr), air (bhuva), and heaven (sva). Earth, air, and heaven, or in some translations, earth, sky, and space, are symbolic representations of being, consciousness, bliss (sat, chit, ananda) or the gross, subtle and causal realms of ultimate reality. Within the microcosm of a human being, from one’s soles to one’s navel is earth (bhur), from navel to throat is air or atmosphere (bhuva), and from throat to crown of head is svaha (heaven or space).

Interpretations of the Gayatri Mantra are many. Here's a sampling:

"May the Supreme Light that illuminates the three worlds also illuminate our intellect to the path of luminous virtue."

Unknown

“We meditate upon the radiant glory of the One shining divinity from which the luminous is born, who sparks our intellect with the light of illumination.”

Unknown, interpretation of Gayatri Mantra

“We recognize the glory of the Light that illuminates the three planes of experience: the physical, astral and celestial. Let us meditate on the sacred Light of the effulgent source that shines within us. Let that inspire our thoughts and awaken the Self as the Light that pervades the entire Universe."

Unknown, interpretation of Gayatri Mantra

“That revered ray of light, let us meditate on that divine effulgence. May that light direct our intellect.”

Ramesh Krishnakumar, interpretation of the Gayatri Mantra

“O splendid and playful sun, we offer this prayer to thee; enlighten this craving mind; be our protector; may the radiance of the divine ruler guide our destiny; wise men salute your magnificence with oblations and words of praise."

Unknown, interpretation of Gayatri Mantra

“Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat.”

William Quan Judge, interpretation of the Gāyatrī Mantra

For those of you who may wish to recite the mantra as part of your practice, here is a verbatim translation and various translations of the Gayatri Mantra:

tat – That

savitur - of savitar the god: Savitr-, stimulator, rouser; inspirer, name of a sun-deity, bright, luminous like the sun

prachodayat - who may stimulate: set in motion, drive on, urge, impel, energize

References:

http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/gayatri.html

]]>Gâyatrî Mantra: the Mantra of Spiritual LightThis Will Never Happen in One of My SessionsyogaasanaKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 13:14:39 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/this-will-never-happen-in-one-of-my-sessions56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c7bd0dbebafbcfa76b3af5Here's one hilarious story of a man, a hot yoga class that was not so hot,
and a mat, as shared in his original Seattle Craigslist ad:
Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)
Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage
timeline as follows:
11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class
package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly
confirm to myself...

Here's one hilarious story of a man, a hot yoga class that was not so hot, and a mat, as shared in his original Seattle Craigslist ad:

Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)

Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:55aOpen door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57aI feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58aThe shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59aBegin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00pInstructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02pSince I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10pIt is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26pIt is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33pIt is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40pThe overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44pI consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52pIt is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55pThis room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed. I lose consciousness.

1:15pI have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17pI cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20pIt is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30pTorture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34pMy opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37pThe temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47pArrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47pCreate Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29pNote to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.

---------

Apparently, the funny author of this widely distributed ad is Daniel Sherman, who claimed the story when it was published by MindBodyGreen in September 2011. He has my sympathy and my gratitude for turning his hot yoga experience into such a humorous tale.

Although I have friends who adore hot yoga, as someone who likes yoga and likes saunas, but not at the same time, I teach sessions under much more moderate temperature conditions.

Maybe we could call it "cool yoga" for cool people <grin>. And just in case you were wondering, I can honestly say that all of my students want to keep their mats.

]]>This Will Never Happen in One of My SessionsHow to Be Luminous: Kiss the GroundKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 03:25:17 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/how-to-be-luminous-kiss-the-ground56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c786d3e4fcb5f4875f1a7fDespite the oft-emphasized upscale, aspirational, ascendant aspects of
yogic practice, yoga is an omnidirectional affair, and one essential
direction is down—as in Downward Dog, down-to-earth, calm down, settle
down, get down, feet-firmly-planted-on-terra-firma,
rooting-ourselves-in-the-Ground-of-Being DOWN. Feeling grounded—stable,
balanced, and present in ourselves and our lives—is essential to our
well-being. Just as electrical systems need to be grounded in order to
conduct energy safely, human beings need the felt connection to our bodies
and the earth in order to function optimally.
Unlike in childhood when being grounded is...

Come to the root of the root of yourself. Molded of clay, yet kneaded from the substance of certainty, a guard at the Treasury of Holy Light—come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

Once you get hold of selflessness, you’ll be dragged from your ego and freed from many traps. Come, return to the root of the root of your Self...

— Rumi

Despite the oft-emphasized upscale, aspirational, ascendant aspects of yogic practice, yoga is an omnidirectional affair, and one essential direction is down—as in Downward Dog, down-to-earth, calm down, settle down, get down, feet-firmly-planted-on-terra-firma, rooting-ourselves-in-the-Ground-of-Being DOWN. Feeling grounded—stable, balanced, and present in ourselves and our lives—is essential to our well-being. Just as electrical systems need to be grounded in order to conduct energy safely, human beings need the felt connection to our bodies and the earth in order to function optimally.

Unlike in childhood when being grounded is often experienced as an unwelcome punishment, being grounded in adulthood is a gift that keeps us in touch with reality. It is a way of fully embracing and embodying the visceral experience of being human now here on earth. When grounded, we are able to respond to the vicissitudes of our experience without getting swept away or losing our ground.

In yoga, particularly the more meditative aspects of practice, it is not uncommon to experience heightened awareness, altered or peak states, and expansive shifts in our personal energy fields. The full spectrum of human experience becomes more available to our awareness as we explore various ways of being in our bodies and with ourselves. This can be both ecstatic and disorienting.

In the absence of groundedness, we may feel scattered, fidgety, out-of-sorts, out-of-touch, or off-balance. On the more pleasant end of the spectrum and very common during spiritual awakening(s), a lack of groundedness can also take the form of feeling floaty, spacey, out-of-body, or blissed-out. However, chronic ecstasy, though more enjoyable, without proper grounding can be just as destabilizing and debilitating as chronic illness, stress, or exhaustion.

Whatever it feels like, when we are ungrounded, we are more prone to mishaps, mistakes, and maladies. Thus, as our experience of ourselves expands, it is important to balance the breadth of our experience with depth. Like trees, the broader the branches above, the deeper the roots below necessary to sustain growth without uprooting.

One easy way to ground ourselves is to draw our attention to our feet on the ground. When we attend to the ground beneath us, we feel supported by the earth. The earth's gravitational pull becomes a stabilizing force, grounding scattered or excessively upward energy. We feel more integrated internally, and able to sense and feel ourselves whole, head connected to heart connected to solar plexus, and so on. Likewise, we feel more connected to our immediate surroundings and the earth.

For most of us, feeling grounding is very comforting, and may be accompanied by various sensations like greater warmth, flow, or vibrancy—even increased libido. Some people experience perceptual shifts in terms of height and weight, feeling taller or shorter or more solid and substantial.

Others, especially those who may be habitually a bit disconnected from their felt experience, may find grounding oddly unsettling at first as they begin to feel previously unfelt experience, such as physical aches or emotional insecurities. If you happen to be one such person, rest assured that this initial discomfort dissipates quickly with practice.

When we consciously let the earth carry our weight and the weight of the world, we create a supportive container to release and rebalance anything—habitual patterns, positive and negative—that gets in the way of feeling fully present in our bodies as we are here on earth. In so doing, we free ourselves to reconnect with the Ground of Being that paradoxically lifts us up, lightens, and enlightens whenever we embrace it wholly.

Here are a few simple ways to practice grounding.

Stand Your Ground

Stand in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and notice the ground beneath you. Sink into its support and let it carry the weight of your experience.

Feel how the ground meets the your feet.

Notice where your weight rests...one side or the other, forward or backward, outer or inner edges. Distribute your weight evenly between your two feet. Hug the earth with your toes.

Now, distribute the weight in each foot evenly across the centers of your heels, and the fleshy bottoms of your big and little toes. Notice as you do this, how the middle arches lift up to meet the base of your pelvis and spine, and how the muscles in your legs support this subtle lift.

Notice how engaging the soles of your feet moves through your inner thighs to your groin lifting your pelvic floor (that network of muscles rooted at the perineum amidst your sit bones, pubic bone, and tailbone used in Mula Bandha or Root Lock) at the seat of your root chakra or subtle energy center at the base of your spine, Muladhara.

Enjoy the feeling of grounding.

Plant Yourself

Stand in Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Imagine yourself as a tree, and plant yourself in the ground.

Imagine the root of your spine extending down through the sole of you foot into the center of the earth as you feel the light inward and upward contraction of your pelvic floor.

Notice how you feel as you connect into the ground. Notice how the earth supports you.

Although perhaps more easily accessed standing, you can ground yourself in any pose on or off the mat by bringing your attention to your feet or wherever your body makes contact with the ground.

Enjoy the feeling of grounding.

Walk the Earth

Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Walking barefoot is another simple, but effective way to experience groundedness. It probably comes as no surprise to yoga practitioners that recent research suggests that Earthing, or walking barefoot on natural ground (soil, grass, or sand):

Earlystudies are showing that the health benefits come from the relationship between our bodies and the electrons in the earth. The planet has its own natural charge, and we seem to do better when we’re in direct contact with it."

Instead of hitting the ground running, try kissing the ground walking. As you walk, notice how the ground greets your feet and supports your every step. Let go of that which no longer serves you on your path.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

— Rumi

Of course, there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. Gardening, drumming, and dancing are also good practices for grounding. Perhaps you know of others.

Whatever you do, what's most essential is that you find a way to ground yourself and connect to the greater Ground of Being.

As usual, please feel free to comment and share as inspired. I love learning with you.

----

Art Credit Image 1: Root Chakra, Catherine McElroy

Art Credit Image 2: unknown

Art Credit Image 3: Kuvia Maltada

]]>How to Be Luminous: Kiss the GroundHey Newbie! Yay, You! 14 Tips for New YogisyogaasanaKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 01:07:05 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/hey-newbie-yay-you-14-tips-for-new-yogis56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c77a983e00be567c9e5b29So you've decided to treat yourself to some radical relaxation and
rejuvenation. Yay, You!
Whether you're new to yoga, or just new to me, thank you for gracing my
teaching with your presence. Here are a few tips to help you make the most
of our sessions together:

Whether you're new to yoga, or just new to me, thank you for gracing my teaching with your presence. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of our sessions together:

1. Wear comfy clothes.

I've said it before, and I'll say it here: I don't care if you wear fancy pants. For asana practice, in particular, it is helpful to wear clothes in which you can breathe and move comfortably, but really, you can practice yoga whenever, wherever, wearing whatever—from birthday suit to business suit. Of course, when you’re practicing with me, I ask that you keep your private bits private, but otherwise, wear whatever you like. Fancy pants optional.

2. Show up on time.

Each session is designed as a sequenced flow that supports your optimal health and safety during practice. The asanas in a sequence build on each other, so entering the sequence late is less beneficial for you, as well as disruptive to others when sharing sessions. If you do arrive late, tiptoe in, warm-up as needed, and join the flow of the session as soon as you can comfortably do so. If you're going to be more than 15 minutes late, it's generally best to forego the session rather than disrupt the flow of the session in progress.

3. Remove your shoes and socks (unless you practice with yoga socks) at the door.

Asanas involve getting up close and personal with the floor (mat on the floor), so removing shoes upon entering helps keep the space clean. Moreover, practicing barefoot not only reduces the likelihood of slipping and falling, but also more readily massages and stimulates the hundreds of meridian points on your feet. If you're not especially fond of the way your feet look and feel self-conscious, rest assured that you're in good company and treat this as an opportunity for self-accepting pedi-compassion.

4. B.Y.O.M. Bring your own mat.

I have some mats available for those of you without mats, but ideally, invest in your own mat. Having your own mat makes it much more likely that you will practice beyond your sessions with me. The more you practice, the greater the benefits, so support your practice with a mat of your own.

5. Turn your electronics off.

As I have written elsewhere, technology, for all its lauded benefits, has left our sacred, quiet, and private spaces more vulnerable to intrusion. It is increasingly difficult to truly get away from it all, disentangling ourselves from the technological tentacles of contemporary life. Protect your ability (and that of others) to relax and focus attention inward without disruption and intrusion by preserving restful space and unrushed time free of phones, texts, and email.

6. Keep your cooties to yourself.

When you're ill, yoga often hastens the healing process, but if you're contagious, skip shared sessions, and practice at home. Although exposure to germs and regular yoga practice strengthens our immune systems, most of us generally prefer to strengthen our immune systems without contracting illnesses, so please don't expose others to sickness unnecessarily.

7. Ease into asanas.

Be kind and gentle to yourself in every pose. Breathe long, deep breaths through the nose. Pay attention to how the pose feels rather than simply how it looks, challenging yourself without straining.

8. When in pain, abstain.

When in doubt, sit it out. If it hurts, don't do it. Ask for help modifying a pose or skip it if a comfortable modification isn't readily available to you. Rest in Child's Pose or Mountain Pose as needed.

9. Practice on a comfortably empty belly.

If you can, refrain from eating for at least a few hours before a session. Practicing asanas with a full stomach sometimes induces cramps, nausea, or gas, especially in twists, forward bends, and inversions. Ideally, practice two to three hours after a moderate or light meal.

10. Hold the H2O until after the session.

Since asana practice is generally not a workout requiring frequent hydration, drinking water during a session is usually unhelpful as it cools and dilutes the beneficial inner heat (tapas) that aids in detoxification and energy channel (nadi) clearing.

11. Go ahead and fart.

Yeah, I know, we're not supposed to talk about it, but it happens. Ideally, you won't, but if you must, do. If you are aware of the need before it happens, skip to the loo and save us all from the Eau de Ewwww. However, if you happen to pass gas unexpectedly, just remember it's natural, and we'll survive (empathetically happy that it was you and not us).

12. Use the loo as needed.

If you need to go, go. If you can wait for a resting pose like Child's Pose, Down Dog, or Pidgeon, it's often less disruptive during shared sessions, but please feel free to take care of your needs as needed.

13. Stay for savasana.

In a culture that glorifies being busy, laying back doing nothing, or rather reposing for 5 to 15 minutes, can be especially challenging. Yet, deep relaxation is essential for health and well-being, so resist the urge to skip savasana. This resting pose helps fully integrate the benefits of your practice session, rebalancing your nervous system, slowing your heart-rate and deepening your breathing, as well as offering you time to simply relieve your mind of unnecessary busy-ness. If you must leave early, please let me know at the beginning of the session, and rest in savasana a few minutes before you leave.

14. Celebrate!

]]>Hey Newbie! Yay, You! 14 Tips for New YogisUjjayi PoemyogapranayamapoetryKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 00:41:44 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/ujjayi-poem56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c778c6c534a560fb36f49fUjjayi.
Each molecule of air
Floods your lungs
In rejoice of you.
Moisture renders itself
From your skin
Simply for the chance
To carry
The wonder of you
Into to the eager arms
Of the sky.

]]>Ujjayi PoemYoga as MeditationyogameditationKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 00:37:35 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/yoga-as-meditation56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c7765f6a4963a6cb2ed6beThe simple truth is that we are all embodied, enlightened beings. Realizing
this simple truth liberates us from a world of suffering. However,
realizing this amidst perpetual distractions and coming attractions of
daily life is often a bit more complicated.
Fortunately, some of the embodied, enlightened beings who realized this
before us, in their infinite wisdom and compassion, composed the ultimate
guide to liberating Self-realization: yoga.
Believe it or not, for thousands of years, long before modern-day mat-work
was even a twinkle in a guru's third eye, yoga was (and practiced as
intended, still is) the ultimate meditation practice. In fact, one of the
most challenging aspects of teaching yoga today for educated teachers is
the widely-held misconception that yoga is merely asana. While the
ubiquitous, body-bending asana practice is indeed yoga, it is only a
fraction of the much richer, mind-bending practice of yoga that includes
ethics (yamas and niyamas), postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama),
sensory regulation (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and meditation (
dhyana and samadhi).
The widespread misappropriation...

Just drop all your seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the heart of your very being.

— Sri Ramana Maharshi

The simple truth is that we are all embodied, enlightened beings. Realizing this simple truth liberates us from a world of suffering. However, realizing this amidst perpetual distractions and coming attractions of daily life is often a bit more complicated.

Fortunately, some of the embodied, enlightened beings who realized this before us, in their infinite wisdom and compassion, composed the ultimate guide to liberating Self-realization: yoga.

Believe it or not, for thousands of years, long before modern-day mat-work was even a twinkle in a guru's third eye, yoga was (and practiced as intended, still is) the ultimate meditation practice. In fact, one of the most challenging aspects of teaching yoga today for educated teachers is the widely-held misconception that yoga is merely asana. While the ubiquitous, body-bending asana practice is indeed yoga, it is only a fraction of the much richer, mind-bending practice of yoga that includes ethics (yamas and niyamas), postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), sensory regulation (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and meditation (dhyana and samadhi).

The widespread misappropriation of the term "yoga" to refer to asana practice alone only perpetuates the misconception, which is why even knowledgeable yoga teachers will often advertise "yoga" and "meditation" as if meditation is something in addition to yoga rather than the essence of all yogic practice. In deference to contemporary yoga culture that assumes "yoga" means postures, I often refer to "yogic meditation" or "yoga as meditation" to avoid misunderstandings despite the fact that "yoga" and "meditation" are historically somewhat synonymous.

Yoga is the journey of the self through the self to the Self.

— Bhagavad Gītā

Yoga is the practice of coming home to our embodied, enlightened selves by giving ourselves careful, mindful attention—consciously relaxing the body and awakening the mind to experience the inherent wholeness within, between, and all around us that often remains unrealized in our day to day experience of ourselves, each other, and the world.

The foundational texts of yoga--the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bhagavad Gītā, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Upanishads--all describe yoga as a process of enlightenment consisting of expanding our sense of identity beyond ego consciousness, or self with a small "s," to rest in the immortal Self (ātman or Self with a capital "S') that is one with all that is (brahman). This identity is always available to us. Realizing this expanded sense of self as who we really are is actually the paramount purpose of yoga.

Sometimes, we awaken to our true nature in an instantaneous flash of insight. More often, it's a gradual transformation that occurs over time with consistent, dedicated practice. However it happens, the result of consistent yogic practice is a restful body and peaceful mind that lead to liberating Self-realization.

When the mind comes to rest, restrained by the practice of yoga, and when beholding the Self, by the self, he is content in the Self.”

— Bhagavad Gītā, VI

When all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not—then, say the wise, the highest state is reached. This calm of the senses and mind has been defined as Yoga. He who attains it is freed from delusion.

— Katha Upanishad, 2.6.10-11

In the Yoga Sutras, the three-fold method for realizing our true nature is referred to as samyama, consisting of dharana (attention on an object), dhyana (inward contemplation or attention on the subject as object), and samadhi (complete absorption or subject/object integration).

Generally, yogic meditation proceeds from the intention to realize One Self by focusing our attention on the more external, concrete aspects of our experience like the sensations of the body and the energy of the breath (asana and pranayama), gradually bringing our attention inward (pratyahara), concentrating our attention (dharana) on more internal, subtle aspects of our experience like thoughts, emotions, the silent space between thoughts, the spaciousness beyond thought, our sense of self or “I”dentity until our “I”dentity remains in one-pointedness (dhyana) resting in the eternal, infinite unity of all that is (samadhi).

Yogic Meditation Practice Tips

The state in which the individual self and the Supreme Self are experienced as one, in which all thoughts disappear, is called samadhi.

— Hatha Pradipika, 4.7

1. Set Right Intentions

When a yogin becomes qualified by practicing Yama and Niyama [yoga ethics], then the yogin can proceed to asana [postures] and the other means.

— Yoga Bhashya Vivarana, II.29

All genuine meditation practice is grounded in the desire to relieve suffering. Usually, what begins as a desire to relieve personal suffering becomes a commitment to alleviate universal suffering as we discover the delusion of separation—of mistakenly thinking that we are independent, separate beings—that is the root of all suffering. As we realize ourselves in each other and the world, we transcend our egos, expanding our identities to include the universal or One Self within each and all.

Traditionally, ethical good-standing is a prerequisite of meditation practice, without which meditation practice is simply self-indulgence dressed up as self-awareness. Yogic meditation practice begins with an intention to realize the Self at the heart of each and all—the universal Self beyond the personal self that serves each and all. Recognizing that harm to one harms all, we extend our compassion to all living creatures.

Despite the growing popularity of mindfulness teachings, mindfulness without harmlessness (or insight without compassion) is incomplete. Compassion is how genuine meditation practice shows up in the world. Thus, at a bare minimum, when one begins a meditation practice, one must aspire to do no harm.

2. Move & Stretch

Sustaining the health of the body is actually an often overlooked, essential foundation for meditation practice. Meditation practice is designed to fundamentally alter one's perception of oneself and one's reality. This can be both ecstatic and disorienting. Anchoring one's meditation practice in a healthy body balances the transcendent awareness of enlightenment with the functional awareness of embodiment.

When we can't sit comfortably for extended periods of time, it is far more difficult to concentrate and meditate. Physical aches and discomfort distract us, preventing us from experiencing the relaxation that supports more meditative states. Moreover, a healthy body offers necessary grounding and refuge. Traditionally, asana practice was used as needed to develop a healthy body capable of sitting still in meditation.

Before meditation, it may be helpful to do a few gentle stretches, asana postures, Moon Salutations, or Sun Salutations to help center, balance, and relax.

3.Rest & Relax

Be seated, holding the body steady, with the head, neck, and chest erect. With the senses and mind turned within, you enter into the heart. Thus, the wise cross over the dread sea of birth and death.

— Svetasvatara Upanishad, 2.8

Particularly when we are concentrating, many of us tense our bodies unnecessarily. Moreover, the habitual overstimulation and overwork characteristic of modern life often leads to chronic stress, tension, and inflammation. Even when we are at rest, we are often not rested and relaxed. Meditation practice is an opportunity to reconnect with the subtle sensations of our bodies, and consciously develop habits of relaxation and awareness that support greater health and well-being.

Seat yourself in a comfortable, upright position, and be still. If comfortable, sit on the floor or on a small cushion cross-legged, in half or full-lotus, or kneeling siting on your heels. If sitting on the floor is uncomfortable, sit on a straight-backed chair. What matters most is that you sit in the position that best supports you in sustaining a relaxed, upright position without straining or slouching.

If you feel cold, place a wool or silk blanket under or around you. Scan your body. Notice any restlessness or tension, and release it. Lengthen your spine and drop out of the shoulders. Feel the support of the ground beneath you. Let yourself become calm, grounded, and centered.

If you still feel restless or tense, practice some simple Tense & Release or Progressive Relaxation exercises as a way of releasing any residual tensions stored in the body. Rest your attention on your feet and gradually, move your way up the body, gently tightening and releasing your muscles along the way.

4.Breathe & Energize

Breathing deeply engages the "rest and digest or relaxation" response, calming the body and focusing the mind.

Bring your attention to your breath. Relax your belly without slumping. Relax your jaw. Relax your eyes and the space around your eyes. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, imagine that you are exhaling all the air in your body.

Inhale a calming breath, counting to 4. Pause before exhaling for a count of 2. Exhale for a count of 4. And repeat for a few minutes, increasing the ratio to 6:3:6, or 8:4:8 if and as the breaths become longer. You may add a pause after each exhalation too.

5.Quiet & Draw the Senses Inward

Then sit and calm the mind and senses by concentrating on one thing.

— Bhagavad Gita, 6.13

Completely let go of all selfish desires and expectations. Then with your mind, you can withdraw the senses from all sides.

— Bhagavad Gita, 6.24

So much of our attention is directed externally, captured by the manifold sights, sounds, and happenings around us. Yet, as I have written elsewhere, we all need time to retreat, drawing our attention inward beyond the day-to-day clutter and clatter of ordinary existence. 'One of the eight foundational limbs of traditional yoga practice is pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses, an intentional turning inward beyond the sensory distractions of the outer world to experience the profoundly sacred aspects of being that naturally arise when we immerse ourselves in the quality of attention usually reserved for that and those we adore. Without this intentional, reverent attentiveness, what is most essential is often both overwhelmed and overlooked.'

Close your eyes and focus your inner gaze on the still point between your eyebrows or the center of your heart, whichever resonates more strongly for you and best holds your attention. Let the silence beyond sound fill your ears.

6.Concentrate & Meditate

When you have your mind well trained so that it rests solely in the Self without wanting anything, then you are established in Yoga. 

— Bhagavad Gita, 6.18

Focus on the feeling of the breath as it flows in and out of your nose. If it is helpful, repeat a mantra (sacred word or phrase) with each breath.

Two traditional mantras that flow easily with the breath are Hamsa (pronounced hahmsah) and Soham (pronounced soehummm). In English, Hamsa translates as an enquiry,Who am I? Soham translates as an answer, I am that.

When you are skilled in sustaining your attention on the present moment, bring your attention to both the breath and your internal gaze to the space between the brows or within the heart. Focusing attention on the breath helps one stay in the present or now. Focusing attention on the space between the brows or heart center helps steady oneself in space, as in here.

For most of us, it is initially challenging to stay here and now for any length of time. Our attention inevitably wanders, distracted by sounds, sensation, emotions or thoughts. Whenever you realize that you've wandered off, simply bring your attention back to your breath and stillpoint within. This practice of repeatedly bringing your attention back to here and now is the stabilizing practice of concentration (dharana). Dharana corresponds to shamatha practice of Buddhist meditation.

As our concentration skills deepen, we gradually focus our attention on more internal, subtle aspects of our experience like thoughts, emotions, the silent space between thoughts, the spaciousness beyond thought, our sense of self or “I”dentity. Sometimes, this is referred to as witnessing consciousness, which corresponds to the widely popular vipassana or mindfulness meditation.

When we learn how to concentrate, we are nowhere, completely focused on here and now, undisturbed by worldly activities, bodily sensations, and mental thought-streams. When we can sustain our attention on a point of focus for a period of time without distraction, we experience meditation (dhyana). We are nowhere and nowhere (and.

Ultimately, the "I" (observer), focusing and witnessing (process of observing), and the breath/stillpoint (object of observation) collapse or merge into one seamless experience. Our “I”dentity rests in the eternal, infinite unity of all that is. In the yogic tradition, this is called Samadhi or transcendent awareness.

Yoga rests in the simple truth that we are all already embodied and enlightened. Realizing this is life’s purpose and results in the experience of profound freedom. Sometimes, we awaken in an instantaneous flash of insight, and sometimes, it’s a subtle transformation that occurs over time.

Meditation practice is the process of coming home to yourself by paying attention to yourself—consciously awakening and integrating the various layers of your experience within the inherent wholeness that is already you. Generally speaking, we begin by focusing our attention on the more external, concrete aspects of our experience like the sensations of the body and breath, gradually bringing our attention inward, focusing our attention on more subtle, abstract aspects of our experience like thoughts, emotions, the silent space between thoughts, our sense of self until our “I”dentity rests in the eternal, infinite unity of all that is.

Each object of focus realizes a new subject that becomes the new object until subject and object become One.

]]>Yoga as MeditationUjjayi: Ocean Breathing yogapranayamaKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 00:23:48 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/ujjayi-ocean-breathing56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c77342197aea831deaeed9 I don't know about you, but I love the ocean—sparkling water, salty
sand, smooth stones, sand-dollars—and the sound of waves as reassuring
and life-affirming as heartbeats.
Although it is not as wonder-full as being at the ocean, or practicing
Ujjayi on a beach, practicing Ujjayi brings the ocean to one's moment
wherever one is. Wherever whenever I practice Ujjayi, the infinite ocean
laps at the shore of my being in a way that those seashells I listened to
as a child only hinted.
If you haven't yet had the pleasure, you may be wondering, what is Ujjayi
(pronounced oo-jai)?

You are alive by breath, you are a product of breath, and your realization is through breath. The moment you are in touch with your breath, the universe pours into you. 

— Yogi Bajhan

I don't know about you, but I love the ocean—sparkling water, salty sand, smooth stones, sand-dollars—and the sound of waves as reassuring and life-affirming as heartbeats.

Although it is not as wonder-full as being at the ocean, or practicing Ujjayi on a beach, practicing Ujjayi brings the ocean to one's moment wherever one is. Wherever whenever I practice Ujjayi, the infinite ocean laps at the shore of my being in a way that those seashells I listened to as a child only hinted.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure, you may be wondering, what is Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jai)?

Ujjayi breathing is a foundational yogic breathing technique in which one breathes through the nose while slightly constricting the epiglottis at the back of the throat, creating a whispering “haaa” or soft whooshing sound reminiscent of ocean waves.

Ujjayi can be practiced anywhere, but it is particularly powerful when combined with asana practice. The rhythmic sound of one’s breathing reinforces one’s awareness of the breath, sustains the flow of prana, and induces a more meditative state of mind. It also serves as an audible indicator that guides one's practice, reminding one to practice with the breath, engaging poses only as much as one can comfortably sustain one's breathing.

Traditionally, when practicing Ujjayi, one inhales, retains the breath, and then exhales in a ratio of x: 4x: 2x. For example, if x equals 4, one counts to four when inhaling, holds for a count of sixteen, and then exhales for a count of eight. However, depending on one’s lung capacity, it is sometimes easier to begin with an equal 4:4:4 ratio, and gradually progress to more advanced counts as one’s lung capacity increases with practice.

Play with different breath rhythms until you find one that suits you. Also, sometimes it is easier to get the hang of Ujjayi if you try it a few times with an open mouth to begin, and then, try it with mouth closed, breathing solely through the nose. Although the breath may seem a bit uneven or ragged in the beginning, with practice Ujjayi becomes steady, rhythmic, and soothing like the sound of calm ocean waves.

Sit up straight (cross legged on the floor or on a chair with your feet on the floor if you prefer)...

Drop your shoulders and pull them back slightly to open your chest...

Close your mouth, keeping your tongue and jaw relaxed...

Relax your belly, expanding your diaphragm...

Breathe...

Inhale through your nose while slightly constricting the muscles at the back of the throat to create a soft whispering “ha” sound (like the sound you would make if you were fogging a mirror with your breath)...

Allow your lungs to fill from the bottom up...

Exhale through your nose, creating the same sound...

Breathe smoothly and evenly with each inhalation and exhalation, surfing the sound of your breath...

Enjoy riding the waves of your being and becoming.

]]>Ujjayi: Ocean BreathingYoga Beyond AsanayogaKaren SellaThu, 01 Sep 2016 00:10:51 +0000http://www.luminanda.com/lets-be-luminous-yoga-meditation/2016/8/31/yoga-beyond-asana56588b15e4b022a250ff64d2:57c76b8546c3c48ab1360514:57c76fc5d2b857b24fccf296These days, people begin a yoga practice for all sorts of reasons—stress
reduction, weight loss, sleep restoration, pain management, injury
rehabilitation, cross-training, personal growth, and more. Yoga classes
have even become the habitat du jour for singles seeking flexy, sexy dates
and mates. However, despite its growing popularity as a form of fitness,
yoga is not merely an exercise program reserved for skinny-minny
contortionists and modern-day members of the cult of the "body
beautiful." Nor is it an enlightenment fast-track for bendy, trendy
spiritual seekers. Yoga is not about being able to touch one’s nose to
one’s knees, sculpting a beautiful body, or accumulating experiences of
bliss, although all are common effects of practice.
Rather, yoga is about coming into harmony with ourselves, each other, and
our world. Yoga is...

These days, people begin a yoga practice for all sorts of reasons—stress reduction, weight loss, sleep restoration, pain management, injury rehabilitation, cross-training, personal growth, and more. Yoga classes have even become the habitat du jour for singles seeking flexy, sexy dates and mates. However, despite its growing popularity as a form of fitness, yoga is not merely an exercise program reserved for skinny-minny contortionists and modern-day members of the cult of the "body beautiful." Nor is it an enlightenment fast-track for bendy, trendy spiritual seekers. Yoga is not about being able to touch one’s nose to one’s knees, sculpting a beautiful body, or accumulating experiences of bliss, although all are common effects of practice.

Rather, yoga is about coming into harmony with ourselves, each other, and our world. Yoga is practicing personal and planetary integrity. Yoga is seeing through the illusory divisions and fragmentation that cause unnecessary suffering, and discovering the inherent wholeness within, between, and all around us. Yoga is integrating mind and body, head and heart, depth and breadth, being and doing, self and other, spirit and matter, here and now.

As quite possibly the oldest integral practice for personal well-being and Self-realization on the planet, yoga is essentially a way of learning how to pay attention to what matters. It is the practice of attending to our somatic, psychological and spiritual experience in the moment as a way of bettering each moment of experience for ourselves, each other and our world. Simply stated, yoga is really a way of fully engaging body, heart, and mind in the wholeness of life.

Although most yoga classes in the West emphasize the physical postures (asanas) and energetic breathing techniques (pranayama), these aspects of yoga are merely a starting point. Yoga is a complete system of ethical principles and practices (yama/niyama) for transforming one’s entire being. Asana and pranayama are primarily aimed at developing a habit of attentive relaxation that supports meditative states of awareness by balancing the physical and energetic body.

Through simple poses and breathing practices, we learn to shift our attention from the external to the internal (pratyahara). Through concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) practices, we learn how to be with ourselves and abide in the truth of who we are. Ultimately, we learn to seamlessly navigate these inner and outer dimensions of experience as a holistic whole.

Regardless of what initially attracts one to the mat, all who develop a genuine yoga practice embark on a life-long path of self-realization with benefits usually surpassing those originally sought. With regular practice, one breathes more deeply, eats more lightly, sleeps more soundly, moves more fluidly, sees more clearly, speaks more freely, laughs more easily, loves more wholly, and lives more fully. This ever-growing quality of attention that one develops on the mat is what transforms a series of postures into the genuine practice of yoga.